


Nothing holding us back

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 18:17:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20746625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: Trial is over, she is found guilty, and  at that moment, there is nothing stopping them





	Nothing holding us back

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!   
It is time for some good ass healing! Also, Landry is dead! All joking aside, I have sinned yet again, so you were warned.  
Enjoy! <3

Claire was done. She knew the verdict before she even heard Harper walk towards her. There was only one way it could end, no other option available.

“Dr. Herondale.” Harper started, her voice stern, but after seeing her blank face, completely emotionless, a lone tear falling down her face, she softened. “I’m so sorry. You were found guilty, i need you to return your ID card and leave the hospital immediately. Your papers will be ready for you to pick them up tomorrow. I’m sorry, I wish it didn’t have to come to this.” She placed her hand on Claire’s shoulder.

“Do you know who does the family know about that from?”

“I’m really not supposed to talk about it…”

“Please, Dr. Emery. I _need_ to know, or I’ll go insane.”

“I can’t _tell_ you.” she put the emphasis on telling, and that gave Claire the idea.

“Was in Landry? Dr. Olsen I mean?” Harper stiffed, her eyes speaking volumes.

Claire took a step back, breath catching in her throat. So it was him. All this time, everything that was happening to her, her pager, the rumors, the files, it was all him. And he acted as though nothing was happening.

“Thank you for your time, Dr. Emery.” She smiled sadly and turned towards the exit.

She made her way down the hall, seeing some of the doctors, no one aware of what was happening yet, but they were bound to find out soon.

In the corner of her eye she saw a familiar figure, standing by the nurse’s station.

Ethan was leaning heavily on the wall, not noticing her yet, but she did have to walk past him to give her ID card to the nurse.

She felt his gaze on her back, when she handed her card to the woman, not even a word thrown in Claire’s direction, a cold demeanor still there. She knew Ethan would notice something was wrong, he wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t.

His body moved, confusion on his handsome face, but she raised her hand softly, giving him a subtle sign to drop it, then walking fast towards the door, not looking back.

Ethan was confused to say the least. He felt awful after slamming the door in her face. Even though it was three days ago, he still didn’t get the chance to talk to her, not letting her speak, not letting her in, turning her down.

When he saw her today, he saw a chance to right his ship. He wanted to talk to her, explain it to her, ask her what was on her mind.

But she didn’t give him that chance.

He saw her giving up her ID, adding more fuel to the fire already raging in him. What was she doing? Was she resigning?

He lost the sight of her, her soft gesture stopping him from pursuing her. Instead, he made his way towards Harper’s office, his legs carrying him there at the speed of light.

“Why did I just see Dr. Herondale give up her ID card?” he was out of breath by the time he reached his destination, not caring about it though, the only thing on his mind being her.

“The trail ended, Ethan. They found her guilty, I had to let her go.”

“What? But Teresa agreed! She…”

“… didn’t sign a consent form, Ethan. That’s the whole other problem. Clarissa went against the hospital. She used an untested drug to cure the patient. She _stole_ it. No matter what her intentions were, she broke all the rules. There was nothing I could do. I’m sorry.”

“How do you know all the details? It seems as though someone from the inside told the jury what was going on…”

“I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I know you. You won’t stop digging. It was Dr. Olsen. He never really said why he did what he did, but he was the one who informed the family of what Clarissa did.”

Ethan felt his blood boil. He knew exactly the type of a person that excuse of a human was. He met countless of people just like him, scared of other people being better, stooping so low they are willing to jeopardize others to come out on top.

“Thanks, Harper. I’ll leave you to your duties.” With that, he was gone.

He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do now. She was gone. He didn’t know when or if he would ever see her at all. For the rest of the day he would be in a fool mood, much more rude than he usually was. He was praying not to run into dr. Olsen, not sure if he would be able to control his temper.

The next day didn’t bring the solace he needed, making his way through the corridors slowly, with a scowl on his face, preventing anyone from talking to him.

His eyes registered the speck of red, his heartbeat picking up with hope. Before he knew what he was doing, he was running.

“Dr. Herondale! A moment of your time?” he called out after her, making her stop and turn around, nowhere to run or hide. It was just them in that moment. She nodded curtly, not sure what to expect as she went behind towards his office.

He let her in, closing the door behind her and locking it, making it not possible for anyone to interrupt them.

“Claire… what happened?” his voice was going softer with each second, searching her face for something, anything that would tell him what she was thinking about.

“I think you already know what happened.”

“I want to hear it from you. But before that… I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For blocking you, for not listening to you, for turning you down…” the words fell from his lips, unaware of the double meaning at first, but ultimately deciding that he meant it in both of those meanings. “Will you tell me what’s going on?”

“You probably already know that it was Landry that told the family about my involvement in the… ‘curing’ of Mrs. Martinez.” She made quotes with her fingers in the air, the words bitter in her mouth. “He knew what we were about to do, protesting all the time, angry at us. I didn’t know he would do something like this…”

“I’m sorry, Claire…”

“Ethan, that’s not all.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t tell you because I thought you would think I was a stupid intern, unable to fight her own battles. He turned my pager off. Stole my patient’s files. Started the rumors that I was trash-talking the nurses. He just… bent under the pressure until he broke.”

His face twisted, anger rising in his chest, blood rushing through his veins, making him see red. Claire saw that and immediately ran towards him, taking his hands in hers.

“Hey, don’t go into your ballistic mode. You can’t afford to do something you’ll regret. Someone must be here to help Naveen.” She stroked his palms with her fingers soothingly. His face fell, remorse taking over.

“It’s my fa…”

“Ethan, I swear, if you’re going to say it’s your fault, I will do something to you. It is _not_ your fault. And he is still here. We still have time… _you _still have time. He still has you, even when I’m no longer here.” She admitted with regret, feeling horrible that she didn’t think this through. She didn’t think that she would have to leave Ethan alone with the burden of Naveen’s case alone again.

She sat down on his desk, with him sitting in his chair. The height difference allowed them to be almost at the same eye level. Her arms went around his neck, bringing him closer to her, trying everything she could think of to cheer him up, make him feel better.

His forehead fell against her collarbone, taking a deep breath. Her hands landed on his head, fingers combing through his hair in a comforting motion, trying to take away his stress, even if just a little bit.

He raised his head after a while and, almost as if he wasn’t able to help himself, his lips pressed against hers. She responded immediately, no doubt in her movements. He leaned away, looking into her eyes.

“Claire… we-“

“We _can._ I’m not an intern anymore. There is nothing holding us back. You don’t have to worry about it looking bad anymore. That is… if you want it…” she hesitated, not wanting to push him.

He stood up from his chair, his hands laying flat against the smooth surface of the desk on either side of her, locking her in the cage of his arms.

“_Want you? Can’t you tell?”_ and with that, his lips were back on hers, still a little bit of restraint there, but Claire was having none of it.

Her hands moved to his lower back, pulling him closer. Their lips danced together, pulling one another in, not letting the other move away.

He was letting himself go, not caring anymore. It was all too much for him, the pent-up emotions of the last few days finally finding an outlet, all the tension leaving his body, becoming a putty in her hands to form as she wished.

His hands moved to her shoulders, exploring her body once more, memorizing every inch he could reach. His fingers were digging into the skin of her back, with enough force to make her knots in her muscles relax, a soft moan escaping her lips.

He felt blood rushing south, his hands moving down her back, resting on her hips, pressing her even closer to him.

“Are you sure you want this?” his voice was cracking, deep with emotions.

“Ethan… look at me. Really, _look at me._” He leaned back, taking in her flushed face, big, round eyes, her hair disheveled, her lips bruised from the force of their kisses. “_Do you have to ask me if I want this?_” her lips were back on his before he could think of a response, her fingers toying with the buttons of his shirt.

One by one, they were coming undone, revealing new patches of the skin on his chest. The tips of her fingers were grazing the flesh softly, sending shivers down Ethan’s spine. His heartbeat was getting faster and faster, pupils dilating, breathing harder.

She moved his shirt down his arms, leaving a trail of fire in her wake, every part of him she touched igniting with heat, intensifying his desire.

He took his time, exploring his body, slowly removing her sweater, touching her bare skin, moving his hands up and down her back, his fingers slipping beneath the back of her bra.

The way he was touching her was leaving her speechless. Strong, confident pushes of his hands against her making her ache with want and need, soft whispers of his fingers leaving her breathless.

She moved her hands to the buckle of his belt, pulling on it with purpose, undoing it swiftly and then helping him get rid of the offending material of his suit trousers. Once that was done, his hands moved slowly towards her pants, toying with it, uncertain. She took his hands and put them on her hips, giving him the push he needed to finish his task. His fingers dipped between her skin and her pants, pulling them down, gently and slowly, taking his time, teasing her skin lightly.

They were looking at each other, taking in the almost naked bodies of one another. Drinking in the reactions on their partner’s face.

Ethan places his hands on her bare shoulders, testing the waters, moving his hands slowly down her back, her sides, hips and legs, before reaching her knees and pulling her closer.

All the while Claire was doing her own discoveries, tracing the muscles on his arms, tickling him while descending towards his stomach, teasing the flesh of his chest, gripping his sides when he pulled on her legs.

He leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him for a second, placing a finger on his lips.

“I want you to remember this when I’m gone. Every time you sit by your desk, I want you to remember how close we were, the closest you can ever be with anyone.” She whispered, locking their eyes, searching in there for his reaction. She saw the depth of his feelings for her, the hunger and lust she could feel in his touch, with just a little of self-doubt.

She took his face in her hands, making it impossible to look away from her.

“_I want this. I want you._”

He kissed her again, the gravity of what was about to happen settling in. His heart was hammering inside his chest.

Claire tangled her one hand in his hair, pulling him closer, while moving the other downwards, tracing her fingers over the waistband of his underwear.

Slowly and carefully, they both finished undressing each other, taking in the sights before them.

“Lean back.” His lips were by her ear, making her shiver as her back came into contact with the smooth and cold surface of his desk.

Ethan trailed his index finger down her body, starting on her cheek, moving over her neck, her chest, stomach and reaching the apex of her legs, teasing the soft flesh there. She was a whimpering mess in a matter of seconds, his fingers doing their magic, bringing her closer and closer towards the edge.

With a few more movements she fell, biting her lip to avoid making any sound, remembering where they were. He kissed her, waiting for her to come down from her high, smoothing the hair on her head.

“Ethan… more, please.”

He smiles, but that soon fades, replaced by a look of bliss, as he feels her fingers touch him, slowly at first, then faster and harder, making him moan louder and louder.

“Claire, you have to stop that, baby. I won’t be able to…” she did stop, deciding to lock her legs around hid hips, pulling him closer, almost on top of her, making their bodies meet intimately.

Neither was ready for that kind of sensation, both of them hissing with pleasure, soft whimpers coming out of their mouths.

He guided himself in, bringing her to him, laying her back down on the desk, his hands on either side of her hips.

He moved, slowly at first, letting her get used to him, then, with each snap of his hips, he picked up his pace, looking at her, observing how her face changed with each of his actions.

Claire felt herself approaching her release again, but it was not enough. She wanted, _needed_ to feel him closer. She sat up, her legs pulling him closer, deeper, eliciting a deep groan from the back of his throat.

“Claire…” his voice was lost, his mind blank, not able to form words. All he saw, all he heard, was her. She was his every thought.

She brought his lips to hers, pulling on his lip, moaning his name, over and over.

They both fell together, holding each other close, kissing to block out the sounds they were making.

Claire laid back down, pulling him on top of her, refusing to let him go just yet. Her fingers were stroking his scalp, their breathing slowly coming back to normal.

“What are you going to do now?” Ethan asked as they were getting dressed, helping one another with their clothing.

“I don’t know yet. Maybe visit my family for a bit, wait for it to settle in.” she said, a grim look on her face.

“I will get to the bottom of this. And I will help you. I won’t let you walk away. You’re a brilliant doctor…”

“Only a doctor?” she smiled, teasing him with her finger trailing down his chest.

“I _might_ have a hard time letting you go after… everything.” He pulled her to his chest, hugging her tightly.

“So… this is goodbye, at least for now.” sadness took over every emotion she felt, not wanting to leave him, but knowing she really shouldn’t be here, not now at least.

He kissed her forehead tenderly, before releasing her.

“Until we meet again.”

“I’ll be counting days.”

“You know me well enough to know I will too.”

“Even though you’d never admit it?” she looked over her shoulder, smirking.

“Only to you.” he had a soft look on his face, all his feelings and emotions on display for her to see.

“See you later, Ethan.”

“See you later, Claire.”

Ethan was walking down the hall again, feeling much better after his… meeting with Claire. The mere thought of it brought a smile on to his face.

Unfortunately, that smile had to disappear, and an angry scowl took its place on his face, as he saw Dr. Olsen walking in his direction.

“Dr. Olsen. A word?” his voice was harsh, expressing his negativity, scaring the living light out of the intern.

“S-sure, Dr. Ramsey.” The young man made his way into the office, Ethan right behind him, closing the door and standing before him. His eyes strayed for a moment towards his desk. A mistake, he realized way to late, he was about to make. His mind flooded with the images of Claire all over it, their moment of closeness and passion. It made him only more determined to get his point across with the intern before him.

“I know what you did.”

“I-I don’t know what you mean…” he really was going there, wasn’t he? Playing dumb, not realizing that Ethan despised that more than any other behavior.

“Don’t play stupid with me, Olsen. I know everything. I know it was you who snitched to the Martinez family about Dr. Herondale helping Teresa…”

“She killed Mrs. Martinez; she deserves the consequences.” Landry was trying really hard to make excuses. Another thing that pissed Ethan off.

“You have until tomorrow to make things right.” His voice was strict, tired with this nonsense.

“Why, because you’re fucking her?” the words slipping through Landry’s lips before he could stop them, realizing his mistake too late.

Ethan took three steps towards him, Landry taking three steps back, falling hard onto the wall.

“Listen to me, and listen carefully, because it’s the only time you’re ever going to get any advice from me. Keep your nose in your own business and you won’t lose it. You will right the situation with the Martinez family and I expect you to resign from the competition by tomorrow morning.”

“You can’t make me do this!”

“I can’t? Really? How about you turning off Dr. Herondale’s pager, stealing her files, spreading the rumors to the nurses about her talking about them? Do you really think Dr. Emery will take lightly the fact that you endangered the lives of our patients because you were jealous of a person who knows and is able to do more, do better, work better, than you?”

Landry was stunned, couldn’t form words, only nodding. Ethan took a step back, proud of himself for controlling his temper, he didn’t even lay a finger on him.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page, Dr. Olsen. You may leave.” The intern basically ran towards the door, shutting them behind him, not daring to look back.

Ethan took a seat behind his desk, memories once more flooding him.

He was going to bring her back. And make her stay here for good.


End file.
